Car Accident Claims

Did you meet with an accident on the road and now you want to file for a claim? One of the foremost reasons why a car accident claim doesn’t succeed is because many people without any real knowledge of UK law don’t know how to go about it, and almost inevitably they end up losing the claim.

When you want to apply for compensation because of a car accident, a good place to start would be to read and take note of the following advice:

Make sure your claim is still within the 3-year limit period

The law in the UK gives you up to 3 years to file for a car accident claim. Now, you may think that this is quite a long time, and it is, but filing a claim sooner rather than later is the best approach.

There are certainly situations wherein you cannot file a claim immediately. One is that you may have not realised back when it happened that all of the pain your body has experienced were actually caused by the car accident you were involved in. Perhaps you have had a searing back pain for about 2 years after the accident, and you thought nothing of it. When it started to become more painful, you decided to see a doctor who confirmed that it may have been caused by the car accident.

In rare cases, your accident may have been so severe and you’ve been in a coma for years.

Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean you have to exhaust those 3 years. As soon as you can, file a personal injury claim against the third party that was responsible. This way, there will be no doubts as to your intention.

Work with a solicitor

A personal injury solicitor is really the best choice that you should opt for when you’re dealing with legal matters. Most personal injury solicitors now work in companies with varying specialisations. Don’t worry, if they take your case, they will assign someone who is an expert in car accident claims.

A solicitor can help you in many different ways. First, he or she can assess your claim properly. The solicitor wants nothing else but to help you win the case, but sometimes not all claims are worth pursuing. They can inform you clearly and honestly of the full merits of yours.

If your case is accepted, the solicitor then acts on your behalf, especially when negotiating and meeting with the third party and the insurance company. The main purpose of this is to prevent you from going through any more trouble and stress than you may have already experienced. In fact, you can choose not to appear until the end of the claims negotiations or case.

Gather evidence

The third party and its insurance company will of course know about the accident and may know about the injury, but it’s common among the latter to give you less than what you deserve. If you’re seeking what’s right based on your injuries, then you need proof.

Normally, when it comes to car accident claims, you need two very important things: medical record and police report. Even before you meet a solicitor, you should already have these with you.

Don’t Forget!

Filing a claim doesn’t immediately guarantee you’re going to receive something. Sometimes even if the case is strong, you can still lose. It depends on many factors, so the goal is to increase your chance of winning it.

Some companies offer a no-win no-fee agreement where you don’t have to pay if you don’t win. This doesn’t completely eliminate solicitor expenses, however, so ensure that all the related fees are outlined in the agreement.